


Coffee Shop Soundtrack

by blonderoasted



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - High School, Eremin - Freeform, Fluff, M/M, jock!Eren
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-25
Updated: 2015-11-20
Packaged: 2018-03-15 06:09:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 11,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3436382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blonderoasted/pseuds/blonderoasted
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Armin tries so hard to be a perfect student and perfect employee at his local coffee shop. He really does try, but then again, nothing ever really goes his way, does it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. track one

“You are the smell before rain, you are the blood in my veins.”

_Yeah, pretty much._

Armin Arlert had never been one to lose his focus in class. He had always been the perfect student: diligent, punctual, and rule-abiding. That is, until he saw Eren Jaeger for the first time. Armin had had it bad for that boy since the first day of his freshman year at Rose High. On that fateful day, the brunet oh-so-smugly walked into their third period late.

From the second he walked in, he gave off this smug and confident aura, something the shy blond only wished he could achieve. Maybe it was that aura or maybe it was those beautiful blue-green eyes, but ever since he sauntered into that class, Armin has been completely and utterly smitten with that boy.

Now in his senior year of high school at Rose, Armin smiled fondly at that frequently-visited memory as he made his way to school. Up until now, he had managed to be in at least one class with the beautiful brunet each year. This year, he was not so lucky (or maybe he was lucky for not having a class with his this year, because the grades for the classes he had with Eren has always seemed to be lower than the others).

Upon arrival at the school, he was greeted by a few of his friends, Marco, Krista, and Petra. 

Marco was the first to notice him approaching, and waved. “Hey Armin!” To Armin, Marco had always been his closest friend. Since the first time they had met in sophomore year, they had just clicked, as people every so often do.

"Hey guys, good morning," Armin said with a yawn. 

“Good morning, Armin!” Ever the morning person, Petra Ral cheerily greeted her dear friend. Petra was the school's sweetheart. Kind, gorgeous, and forgiving, it was nearly impossible for anyone to hate her. Armin and the strawberry blonde had always managed to understand each other perfectly, given their mutual tendency to err on the side of kindness and caution. The only thing that Armin didn't understand about her was her relationship with Auruo Bossard, a guy considered to be, quite frankly, a giant asshole. 

“Ready to go inside? It's a little chilly out here,” Marco suggested with a shiver. After a round of “yes’s” and they all went into the warmth of the school building.

Forever stuck in the neverending routine of his classes, the first half of his day flew by without anything out of the ordinary.

Since the universe decided to deprive him of a solid hour of Eren-viewing opportunities, aka _class_ , lunch was the only time Armin was able to see the bright-eyed brunet, and he for the most part considered it to be the highlight of his day. Eren and the rest of the baseball team always sat in the back corner of the cafeteria. Armin and his friends sat a few tables over. Marco and Krista always let him sit facing Eren; they knew just how much he looked forward to seeing him every day in the lunchroom. That day Eren was wearing a faded old band shirt and light wash jeans. He looked amazing in Armin’s opinion. Then again, to Armin, Eren looked good in everything.

He felt someone lightly poke his side, snapping him out of his daze. “Armin? Earth to Amin? Are you daydreaming about Eren again?” Petra teased.

He was. "I was not," Armin quickly replied, with a telltale blush.

Petra, always in touch with the others' feelings, gave him a knowing look. That knowing look was something of which, at this point, he was quite often at the receiving end.

With a sigh, Armin looked away.


	2. track two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay second chapter. please tell me your thoughts on my writing, I'm trying to improve it. also if you see any typos make sure to tell me so i can fix them! enjoy!

After his last class, Armin drove to the Sun Beam Coffee Shop, the place where he works.

The Sun Beam is a cozy little place. On the outside, it is a small red-brick building with a big window so you can see inside. On the inside, there are bookshelves lining the walls and works of art of local artists and art students from the college nearby. Over in the back corner, there is the barista station and the door to the kitchen where all the pastries are made. There were small tables and loveseats all around the center and front of the cafe and a fireplace in the front corner. All in all, it was a nice place to come and relax if you need some quiet.

Armin had loved the place since the first time he entered there and had their coffee. He applied for a job there as soon as he was old enough and made an effort to absorb everything taught to him while he was being trained for the job. He was the perfect barista; he never forgot an order or made it incorrectly. The shop’s regulars loved him and always made sure to tip extra.

His manager is an eccentric non-binary person with a doctorate in biology in their mid-twenties named Hanji Zoe. They had loved Armin since they met him and admired his work ethic. They hired him on the spot.

Armin went back through the kitchen to the small back room they had and clocked in.

“Hi Hanji, I’m here,” he called out.

“Hello my little mushroom! How was your day?” they asked curiously.

He blushed at the nickname, alluding to his haircut. “It was fine, thanks. I’m going to go ahead and begin working, okay?”

“Okay! You are allowed to leave whenever you feel like it since you put in extra hours last week,” they offered.

“Thanks Dr. Zoe,” he replied.

“Oh please, you’re making me sound old! Call me Hanji, silly!” They exclaimed.

“Okay, Hanji.” He then put on his apron and walked out to the barista station.

The day was like any other. There were the regulars that came in and then there were bad, demanding customers.

Just as he was about to clock out a few hours later, one last customer came in. When he heard the door open, he called out without looking up, “Welcome to the Sun Beam Coffee Shop, what can I get for you?”

When he did look up, he was met with a pair of huge green-blue eyes.

“Hi, I would like a large caramel macchiato and a buttered croissant.”

The blond froze. Was he dreaming? The boy of his dreams was finally talking to him after all these years. He couldn’t believe it.

“Excuse me?” Eren asked politely. “Are you okay?”

Armin snapped out of it. “Sorry, I’m fine. So, a large caramel macchiato with a croissant?”

“Yes please.”

“Okay, I will have that out for you in a minute or two.”

“Thanks.” He walked off and sat in a seat in the back corner of the shop.

Armin took his time making the brunet’s drink, making it as well as he possibly could. He grabbed a croissant and walked out to give it to him.

He was almost there when someone wearing what Armin just barely noticed was a baseball jersey quite inconveniently stuck their foot out right in the middle of where he was walking.

When he tripped, everything seemed like it was happening in slow motion. He knew exactly what was occurring and the fact before it was even over. In the midst of his acceptance, he noticed the look on his dream boy’s face as the drink fell out of the blond’s hand and right onto Eren.

Then, everything was back to normal speed. He saw the hot drink splatter all over the brunet’s chest and heard his cry of pain. He felt the intense burning in his cheeks and the feeling of failure instantly. He was in shock for a moment, and then he jumped to action.

“Oh my god I’m so sorry!”

He sprinted to the counter and grabbed a few rags to wipe off the coffee-soaked boy.

“I can’t believe this happened, I’m so sorry, I will remake your drink and clean your shi-”

Eren cut him off. “It’s okay, I’m fine. It wasn’t that hot and my shirt will be fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m sure. But can I take off my shirt? It’s kind of uncomfortable with it having coffee all over it,” he asked.

Armin tried not to look too flustered. The boy he had liked for three years was going to take off his shirt around him? He was pretty sure this was a dream. “If it’s more comfortable for you, go ahead. There’s no one else here, the guy who tripped me left a minute ago.”

“Thanks.”

Eren then proceeded to take off his shirt. Then he realized that the bright-eyed boy had a six pack.

Armin, as much as he tried, couldn't peel his eyes away from Eren’s perfectly toned chest.

Eren cleared his throat. “Enjoying the view?” he joked.

Armin intensely blushed. “Um… No! What makes you think that?”

“Well, you were staring at me for about a minute….”

“A minute? I was staring at you for that long?” His eyes widened, extremely embarrassed.

“So you admit that you were staring at me,” the brunet said smugly.

“…”

“It’s okay, I don’t blame you,” Eren teased.

“Whatever. Give me your shirt, I will have it cleaned so it doesn't stain. It’s the least I can do.”

“Okay, thanks. Do you have paper and a pen? I need to give you my number so I can get that shirt back.”

Armin was in awe. Eren is asking for his phone number? This is definitely a dream.

“U-uh, yeah, I’ll be right back,” he told Eren, flustered and awestruck.

He grabbed a slip of paper and a pen and wrote his number on it.

“I will text you so you can have my number. My name is Eren by the way,” Eren told him.

As if he didn't already know that. “O-okay. I’m Armin.”

A second later, his phone buzzed from inside his pocket.

 **Unknown Number, 7:32 PM**  
hey :P

Armin looked up from his phone after saving the number. “Seriously? Emoticons? I never took you for the type.”

Eren smirked. “Well, I have to go back home. See you later, and thanks for spilling coffee on me!” he exclaimed after he shrugged his jacket on over his bare torso.

“Sorry again…”

“Forget about it. It’s fine. See you around, nice to meet you!”

“Bye, Eren.”

Armin didn’t know whether to be mortified or excited. He spilled coffee all over his favorite person on Earth but talked to him and got his number.

He clocked out and walked home.

He fell asleep smiling at Eren’s contact in his phone.


	3. track three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys. expect random but frequent updates. as always, tell me your thoughts and inform me if there are any typos! comment and stuff to motivate me to write. enjoy!

That morning, he woke up with his phone sitting next to his face with a 56% battery.  


“Crap,” he mumbles as he belatedly hooks his charger up to his phone.

Quickly, he gets ready and leaves after saying both good morning and goodbye to his grandfather in the span of a few seconds and gets to Rose High significantly earlier than he normally does.

His friends aren’t there yet, so he walks to his locker. Due to the change in arrival time, Armin is surprised to see that a significant amount of people get to school this early.

As he is passing through the halls, he passes the gym and there is a group of people outside. At first he doesn't pay them any mind, but then he takes a look at who is in the group. Eren Jaeger is standing with them, facing Armin’s direction. As soon as Armin looks at Eren, the brunet turns and notices him. A momentary flash of surprise and happiness flits over his face, and then he says something to his friends and walks over to where the blond is standing. 

“Hey Armin, I didn’t know you went here,” he said. 

“I have since I was a freshman. I think we actually had a class together freshman year, with Mr. Pixis.”

“Wow really? Kinda weird I never noticed you." Well, no one else ever really has , Armin thinks. Eren continues, "Oh man, that guy was out to get me, I swear. He never liked me."

“Hm, I wonder why..... Maybe it was because you walked in late on the first day? Oh! Or maybe because you sassed him, or maybe-” Armin teased, but Eren cut him off.

“Okay, okay, you made your point. Who knew you were so sassy?” 

Usually I’m only like that with people I’m comfortable around, he thought. “Well, I sass my friends all the time.”

“Does that mean we are friends?” Eren asked.

“U-um… If you want to be.. I mean you don’t have to if you don’t want to…” the blond said self-consciously.

“I mean you did spill coffee on me…” Bright Eyes teased.

“I said I’m sorry!”

“I was kidding, Armdude. Of course we are friends.”

“Coffee does has a weird way of bringing people together.... Well, I have to get to class. I'll text you later, I guess,” Armin told him.

Eren pulled a face at the mention of classes. “Have fun,” he said sarcastically.

“Oh I will.”

When Armin walked away, he began to analyze almost every little thing that Eren said. They were friends. He never thought this day would come. And Armin acted like himself around him. That conversation was surprising in multiple ways. He was also proud of himself for actually being able to talk to him without blushing constantly. This was turning out to be a good day.

—————————— 

As Armin walked to the lunch room, he wondered how Marco, Petra, and Krista will react to his story and his newfound friendship with Eren. They will definitely be happy for him. They will probably also feel embarrassed for him and maybe even make fun of him. What are friends for?

When he walked into the lunch room, he went to his usual table and sat in his spot between Marco and Petra, but Marco isn’t there yet. When he looked over at Eren’s table, he wasn’t there. That was strange.

Petra begins to ask him something when she stops mid-sentence and looks above him with wide eyes and a surprised expression.

“Hey Armin,” Eren says as he slides into the spot normally occupied by Marco.

“Hi Eren,” the blond replied.

Petra gave him a confused look. Armin mouthed “talk about it later” to her and then turned back to Eren.

When he looked at Eren's tray, it had a burger, fries, and a cookie on it. Talk about unhealthy.

“Really Eren? If you wanna keep that six pack you have to try to eat a bit healthier than that,” he teased.

“Oh shut up. I work out with the team every day after school anyway so I burn off whatever I eat plus more anyway.”

“You could at least try to eat a salad or something.”

“Are you serious, Ar? Salads are rabbit food. I’m a warrior.”

Armin scoffed. “Whatever. Don’t come crying to me when you get fat.”

“You know, you are a lot meaner than you look.”

“I know.” 

“Well, I have to go over there and sit with my other friends. See you around, Armin.”

“Bye,” the blond replies.

Petra gives him a look of disbelief as Marco and Krista sit down in their spots.

“Was that who I think it was, Armin?” Marco asked with wide eyes.

“Yeah, I actually was gonna tell you guys about what happened when you got here.”

After telling them the whole story, they all look at him like he had just grown a second head.

“So you really spilled coffee on him?” Petra asked.

“Yeah, I was really embarrassed but he wasn’t too upset with me. I actually have his shirt in my backpack so I can wash it for him.”

“Wow,” Krista said quietly.

——————————

The rest of Armin’s classes flew by as usual. Many people feel like school days last forever but that isn't the case for Armin. He feels like they go too fast. Soon enough he will be out of the comfortable schedule of high school and into the real world, and that scares him.

He was walking outside when he hears someone calling for him.

“Armin! Wait up!”

Eren runs up next to him, breathing hard.

“What?” the blond asked.

“Baseball workouts end at 4, do you want to hang out afterwards at my house? We can order pizza and watch movies or play video games if you want,” Eren asked.

The past two days have been some of the most surprising days ever for Armin.

“Of course, so we will meet back here at 4?” he asked.

“Yeah, see you then, blondie!” Eren said while running off.

Armin gives himself a moment to think about what just happens and then mentally high fives himself for not flipping out. He then “fangirls” a little bit. He is going over to Eren’s house!

Armin hurries home so he can get ready. He put on some cologne and brushed his hair and teeth and then he was back on his way to where he meets Eren. 

Eren walked out five minutes late.   “Hey, sorry I was late, I took a quick shower in the locker rooms,” he explained.

“It’s okay, at least you won’t smell,” Armin teased.

“Whatever. Ready to go?” Eren asked as he walked to his car, a sleek convertible.

“Yeah, let’s go.” He opens the door and gets in.


	4. track four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys. i suggest you go watch dr. horrible's sing along blog, as it is mentioned in this chapter. it is only 45 minutes long and the entire thing can be found on youtube. also there is a mention of memes in this chapter, so beware. as always, tell me how I'm doing with this story and tell me about any typos. enjoy!

Eren turned the radio to a classic rock station as soon as he got into the car. The two seniors were silent the whole ride to Eren’s house. 

They stopped at a small, cozy-looking house five minutes later, only two streets down from Armin’s. It had a garden lining the front walls of the house and a small front yard. There was a cobblestone path leading from the sidewalk to the door, which made it give off a cottage-type vibe. All in all, it was a nice looking house from the outside.

“I like your house, Eren. The flowers are really pretty,” the blond said.

“Thanks! My mom was a florist, so my sister and I try to grow flowers to remember her. Those are pansies, and the others are roses. Mikasa has more of a green thumb than me, so she tends to take care of them more than I do,” he stated. Armin didn't ask why he referred to his mother in past tense. That was a conversation for another time. “Ready to go in?” he asked.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Armin said as he started up the cobblestone path.

Once he got inside, the first thing he noticed was the fireplace with pictures of Eren, a pretty Asian girl, a man, and a woman. He assumed that the Asian girl was Mikasa and the man and woman were his mother and father. Once he saw those pictures, all of his manners left him and he walked over to the fireplace to pick up one picture that caught his attention more than the others.

The picture was of a younger Eren and a woman who looks very much like him, who he assumed was his mother. Eren was on the woman’s shoulders with a beautiful purple flower in his hair. Both he and his mother were in the middle of laughing, so he assumed that it was taken without them knowing.

He heard Eren walk over to him and the picture. “That was my mother. She passed away when I was ten years old. She was so beautiful, and such a wonderful person, too. I miss her,” he told Armin.

“I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, it was a long time ago,” the brunet said.

“You look a lot like her, you know.”

“I know, I’ve been told that many times,” Eren said, looking wistful.

Armin could sense that Eren’s former good mood was slowly slipping away because of the somber conversation they were having about his mother, so he quickly switched topics. “So, you said we could watch movies?” he asked.

“Yeah, I’ve got a few in mind I’ll go grab—,”

The Asian girl that he assumed was his siser, Mikasa, decided to walk into the room. 

“Hello,” she said quietly. She was gorgeous, with chin-length black hair and pale skin, but wore an impassive face. It seems that she tried to downplay her beauty by wearing a deep red scarf and loose clothing. She looked distant and closed-off.

“Hi, I’m Armin. I’m one of Eren’s friends. I assume you are Mikasa?” he asked.

“Yes, I am. Nice to meet you.”

Armin stuck out his hand so she could shake it, and she took it cautiously, like she was expecting some kind of trick to happen.

“I’ll leave you two alone to get back to whatever you were doing.” And with that, she retreated back upstairs.

“So, movies?” Armin asked.

“Yeah, I was thinking we could start off with ‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.’ Have you seen it before?” Eren asked.

“No, I haven’t.”

Eren grinned. “You’re in for a treat, then. I know this whole thing by heart,” he stated,

“Okay, let’s get started then.”

They sat down on the couch with some popcorn and began the movie. Armin could hear Eren quietly saying each line along with Neil Patrick Harris as he says something about fanmail. 

What he doesn't expect is when Eren begins to loudly sing along with the entire first song. His voice is low and off-pitch, which makes Armin laugh. He never thought that Eren would be such a nerd.

After the first song, Eren looks at Armin. The blond raises a single eyebrow questioningly. “Seriously?” Armin asked.

“I told you that I knew every word by heart. Plus, it isn't called ‘Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog’ for nothing.” Eren retorted.

“Touché.”

The rest of the movie continued like this, until it go to the last scene. Eren seemed to grow more and more tense as the movie progressed.

Five minutes before it ended, Armin discovered why Eren was so tense. Honestly, he couldn't blame him.

At the end of it, Armin was stupefied. How could they do that? The producers already stabbed them in the heart, but the last ten seconds just twisted the knife.

“That’s it?” Armin asked angrily.

“Yeah,” Eren said with a sad look on his face.

“One does not simply end a movie like that!” Armin exclaimed.

“… Did you just quote a meme?”

“Um, maybe.” Armin said, embarrassed.

“Wow. You don’t seem like someone who would quote memes, especially ancient ones like that.”

“Sue me! I know about classic memes." Eren laughed a little bit at this. "Whatever,” he digressed. 

“Anyways, do you want to go up to my room and play Injustice or Call Of Duty or something? I have an Xbox hooked up up there,” Eren suggested.

“Sure.”

——— EREN’S POV ———

For some reason, Eren got a little more excited than he probably should have been when he asked Armin to go up to his room with him. All they are going to be doing is playing video games, so why does he have this weird fluttery feeling in his stomach? He normally only gets that type of feeling when he likes someone.

Not many people know that Eren is pansexual. The only ones who knew were Mikasa and Jean, the bastard.

Now that he has though about it, even though he and Armin are only friends right now, he could definitely see them being more than that sometime in the future. The way they automatically adjusted to each other’s ways and quirks made their (non)relationship seem… domestic, almost. Plus, Armin is definitely Eren’s type. He has a strange taste in guys, and Armin fits it perfectly. He knew that since the first time he met him.

As Eren leads Armin up the stairs to his room, he can feel the little blond staring at him. He turns around quickly and sees Armin’s gaze fixed downwards, towards his ass. The brunet smirked. He would take any chance he could to make the small boy flustered and to see that adorable blush of his. “Enjoying the view?” the bright-eyed boy asked.

As Eren expected, Armin immediately turned beet red and averted his gaze from Eren. “N-no… I was just…. um…”

“Go on,” he said.

“Fine. Yes, I was ‘enjoying the view,’” Armin stated sassily. “Are you happy now?”

“Yes, I am.”

They then arrived at Eren’s room. The deep red walls were covered in old posters depicting classic rock bands and baseball players. In the back corner of the room, there was his bed and a nightstand with a tower of cups on it and a phone charger. In the other corner of his room there was a big TV turned towards the center of the room with an Xbox hooked up to it and a stack of games next to it. In the front corner of the room, there were two doors, one leading to a bathroom and one leading to a closet.

“Wow, Eren, your room is really cool!” Armin exclaimed.

“Thanks. What game do you wanna play?”

“I don’t really care, whichever is your favorite,” the blond stated indifferently.

“Okay,” Eren said as he grabbed Injustice.

As they sat down on his floor in front of the TV, Armin spoke. “So how do you play this?”

“You choose a super hero or a villain from a comic book or movie and you fight the other person. It’s one of those games where you can pretty much just hit random buttons and you will be fine.”

“Okay, sounds cool.”

Eren let Armin win the first few matches for two reasons. Firstly, he wanted to give Armin some confidence so he can crush it, and he wanted to see that little look of determination that Armin gets when he is concentrating on something really hard. Eren soon discovered that Armin sticks his tongue out a little and squints his eyes when concentrating. When Eren sees how cute he looks like that, his stomach flutters. 

Damn, I’ve got it bad, he thought. I wonder if Armin returns the feeling.


	5. track five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys. i will now be updating on saturdays instead of randomly like I normally do. as always, tell me how I'm doing and correct any typos. enjoy!

When Eren and Armin were playing the first few matches of Injustice, the blond noticed that the other boy would take breaks from playing in the middle of a fight. When that happened, he would look at Eren from the corner of his eye and see him staring at him. Armin didn't know whether to be creeped out or excited. This happened multiple times, and each time, Eren would have a dreamy look and a stupid smile on his lips. 

Armin tried not to get his hopes up about how Eren looked at him. He could have always zoned out thinking about pizza or something while looking at him. But Armin’s gay little heart wouldn't allow it and he let his imagination run wild when thinking about that look. 

Finally, Armin snapped Eren out of one of his daydreams. “Hey, Eren.” No response. “Eren,” he said as he poked him in the stomach. That did the trick and pulled him back onto Earth.

“O-oh, sorry, I just zoned out for a moment,” he said sheepishly.

“You were looking at me the entire time, you know. It was a little creepy to be honest,” Armin replied.

“Sorry… It’s just…. youlooksocutewhenyouareconcentrating,” he rushed.

“Come again?”

“I said you look really cute when you are concentrating,” the brunet spoke softly.

Armin immediately blushed and looked away. “O-oh, thanks.” 

“No problem, it’s true.”

“You know, you don’t look too bad when you are concentrated either,” Armin joked. 

Eren blushed at that, and then looked up to meet Armin’s eyes. All time seemed to stop, and it felt like they were the only two people on Earth.

It was in that moment when Mikasa decided to enter the room.

The boys quickly snap out of their little trance and look at Mikasa as if she hadn't just interrupted the ‘moment’ they were having. “Dad is home,” she said stoically. “I suggest you and Armin go downstairs and say hi,” she said as she walked out.

Armin and Eren quickly jump up from the floor and walk downstairs. 

The man from the photos on the mantel was there, but with longer hair, more wrinkles, and bags under his eyes.

“Hello, I’m Armin. I’m a friend of Eren’s,” Armin introduced.

“Hi, I’m Grisha Jaeger, but you can just call me Grisha. Nice to meet you.” He then stuck out his hand. Armin shook it gently and then stepped back next to Eren. “So, do you guys want pizza?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Eren and Armin said simultaneously. They turned and stared at each other for a moment, and then began laughing at it. 

After their laughter died down, Grisha spoke. “Okay, I will order it. It should be here in an hour or so.”

They both said “okay” and then ran back upstairs.

When they got back into Eren’s room, he went over to the stereo that was on his cabinet and turned on a slow song sung by a man with a smooth voice.

“What song is this? It doesn't sound like any old rock bands you would normally listen to,” Armin asked.

“Its name is ‘I Wanna Be Yours’ by Arctic Monkeys. Have you heard of them?” Eren replied.

“Oh yeah, I’ve heard a few of their songs on the radio before. They’re pretty good.”

“Yeah,” Eren said, mind seemingly somewhere else.

Armin walked over to Eren and touched his shoulder lightly. “Eren?”

He turned slowly and looked at Armin. Suddenly, many things happened at once. Eren’s former far-away look turned into one of determination. He then closed the distance between him and Armin. He leaned down and pressed his lips to Armin’s. Armin let out a small squeak of surprise, but melted into the kiss immediately after. 

Eren’s lips were soft and warm, and seemed to fit perfectly with the smaller boy’s. He felt Eren’s tongue run over his bottom lip, silently asking for access, which Armin gladly allowed him in. Eren’s tongue then slipped into Armin’s mouth, his tongue meeting the blond’s. It took about half a second for Eren to win dominance over Armin, and quickly took control. His tongue explored the inside of Armin’s mouth, trying to memorize every inch of it. Then, his tongue returned to Armin’s and the smaller boy let out a small moan.

Armin quickly pulled away, feeling embarrassed and out of breath. Him and Eren somehow found their way to the bed sometime during their little makeout session and they sat there trying to catch their breath.

Eren breathed out a small “wow.”

“Yeah, wow is right,” Armin replied.

The brunet looked surprised. “Wait… You were actually okay with that?”

“Yeah, of course I am. You are an amazing person and an even better kisser. I don’t see how I wouldn't be able to be okay with that.”

The bright-eyed boy smiled. “Good,” he said as he moved over closer to where Armin was sitting. He wrapped his arms around him and put his chin on top of Armin’s (messed up) hair, which was surprisingly soft. The other boy buried his head into Eren’s shoulder, holding onto him softly.

Mikasa knocked loudly and walked in. Her eyes widened the smallest bit when she saw the way the boys were sitting, which was the first sign of emotion Armin has seen on her usually emotionless face. “Am I interrupting some kind of ‘moment’ you guys are having? Cause if I am, I can leave,” she said awkwardly. 

“Um… No, you’re not,” Armin said quickly.

She looked unsure of Armin’s denial of her intrusion, but spoke anyway. “Okay… Well, the pizza is here. Just wanted to come tell you guys.”

“Thanks, Mika,” Eren said, blush still apparent on his face, as she left.

The boys quickly looked at each other and scrambled downstairs.


	6. track six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> today was a snow day, so i had time to write this and decided to post it a little bit early. as always, comment your thoughts and tell me about any typos! enjoy.

After getting some pizza, the boys retreated back up to Eren’s room. They sat in comfortable silence eating their pizza contently.

Out of the blue, Eren said, “Tomorrow after school I’m gonna take you on a date.”

Armin raised an eyebrow. He jokingly said, “Oh? And I don’t get a choice in this?”

Suddenly, Eren’s confidence level went down a few notches and he blushed. “O-only if you want to… I wouldn't make you if you d-didn’t want to…” he stammered.

“I’m joking, calm down. Of course I will go on a date with you, silly,” the blond said quickly when he noticed Eren’s awkwardness and sudden drop in confidence.

After Armin spoke, Eren immediately went back to his old self. “Okay, good. I mean, why wouldn't you want to go on a date with me? I’m hot.” he stated cockily.

“Now don't get too cocky on me. I don’t have to go on a date with you.” the smaller boy joked.

Eren paled. “W-what?”

“Calm down, I was joking again,” the blond said, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Look at me,” he ordered, and the tall boy obeyed. “I would love to go on a date with you. You’re really attractive, you have nice muscles, you’re super funny, and you act so big and tough but you actually are a huge softie. You’re an amazing guy and you need to gain some more confidence.”

Instead of replying and saying thank you, Eren kissed him again.

This time, they knew how to kiss each other. Eren knew that Armin loved tongue-to-tongue contact and Armin knew that Eren loved to dominate others. They quickly got used to each other’s quirks when kissing and used them to their advantage.

Eren’s tongue immediately found its way into the smaller boy’s mouth and fought with Armin’s. Armin almost immediately let Eren take control. The brunet’s tongue darted around Amin’s mouth, exploring any part of it he missed last time.

All of the sudden, Eren pulled away from the blond. Armin began to whine, but was cut off when the brunet’s mouth attached to his neck. He let out an involuntary moan. Eren sucked on his neck, soon to leave a mark. He placed kisses in a small line down the small boy’s neck, each getting a small noise from the blond in return. He then moved back up and left a small trail of kisses along his jawline. Eren’s hands slowly made their way down to the hem of Armin’s pastel blue shirt and pressed his cold fingertips to the other boy’s chest. They moved up and down his skin, causing Armin to grip Eren’s shirt tightly. Once his hands got back down to the hem of his shirt, he began to pull it up and off of the blond’s body. Eren’s lips detached from his jaw so he could completely pull the shirt over Armin’s head. He the looked down at Armin’s bare chest.

Once Armin noticed that Eren was staring, he blushed. “Stop staring…” he said, embarrassed. He felt boyish and underdeveloped.

Eren’s lusty look immediately softened. “You’re beautiful,” he stated, and then softly kissed him. “Don’t ever think anything else,” he ordered.

“Thanks,” Armin said.

“Anytime,” he replied. “Want to go on a walk?” he asked. “There is a really cool forest behind my backyard. I think you'd like it.”

“Sure,” the small boy replied as he picked up his shirt. “Do you have any sweaters or anything I could wear over this? It’s going to get a little chilly outside and all I brought was this.”

“Of course, lemme find one,” Eren replied, already walking to his closet. He rummaged through it for a few seconds until he found a big black Rose High Baseball hoodie that said “JAEGER” across the back, with the number 14 written underneath it. “It’s a little small on me, so you can keep it if you want.”

Armin quickly pulled on the hoodie. It was loose, but not too loose and was the perfect length for him. “Are you sure I can keep it?” he asked quickly.

“Yeah, I’m not gonna wear it anymore anyway. Plus, it looks really good on you,” he replied.

“Thanks,” Armin said, blushing. “Let’s go. Lead the way,” he said.

“Okay,” Eren said. They walked out of his room and then out of the house to the Jaegers’ backyard. Eren helped Armin over the fence and then climbed over. He walked a step ahead of Armin, leading him further into the woods.

“You know, most people would think that most people who lead others into the woods this far are serial killers,” Eren said after about twenty minutes of walking.

“Well, are you a serial killer?” Armin asked.

“Nope,” Eren said, popping the “p.”

“Okay, I trust you.” 

Eren nodded. As they continued walking deeper into the woods, they fell into a comfortable silence. After about ten more minutes, Eren stopped in front of a huge oak tree. Armin wasn't paying attention and walked straight into Eren, and they both fell into the soft grass of the woods. 

“You really should be more careful,” Eren playfully scolded. 

The small boy huffed. “Whatever.”

The brunet laughed and pressed a small kiss to his lips. “Well, we’re here. Look up,” he told Armin.

When he did look up, he gasped. Above them in the tree there was a giant treehouse covered in ivy. It was multiple levels with ladders nailed into the trunk leading to each part of it. The sides were camouflaged by the ivy that climbed up the walls. It was gorgeous.

“How did you find this?” Armin asked, awestruck.

“When I was 15, I got into a fight with my dad and ran off back here and eventually found this. Ever since then, I’ve come here when I need to take a break from the world or need to calm down,” he replied.

Armin nodded. “Let’s go up!” he said excitedly.

“Okay, follow me.” Eren said, already walking to the other side of the trunk. He began to climb up the ladder, and Armin did too.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Armin called out to Eren, who was already on the first level of the treehouse.

“Yeah, it’s never collapsed before. It’s 100% safe.”

“Okay,” Armin replied, and continued climbing.

When he reached the first level, he followed Eren into the shelter. It had shelves in it with a small radio, a cassette player, some books, and a blanket. He then walked over to one of the windows and looked out. 

The view was amazing. The sun was just beginning to set and the sky was turning orange and deep red. The tree was taller than the others in the forest, so he could see the tops to all the others and the city in the distance. He felt Eren come up from behind him and wrap his arms around his waist from behind.

“Beautiful, isn't it?” the brunet asked.

“Yeah,” Armin answered as he melted into Eren’s embrace. “It is.”

“Have you ever taken anyone else here?” Armin asked after a minute.

“No, I was thinking that this could be our place, honestly,” Eren replied.

Our place, Armin thought. I like the sound of that.


	7. track seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys, im back with your regular saturday updates. as always, kudos, comment your thoughts, and tell me about any typos! shoutout to thatonesnkfan for telling me about that typo last chapter! i don't have a beta reader so I'm counting on you guys. enjoy!

Eren and Armin eventually left the treehouse and forest so they could return to their homes. Eren, of course, gave the other boy a farewell kiss before he left.

Armin’s grandfather stopped him as he walked into the house.

“Where were you Armin? You had me worried sick.” he asked with a stern look on his face.

“Oh, I’m sorry Grandfather! I was out with a friend, I should’ve called. It won’t happen again, I promise,” the blond replied. 

His grandfather’s expression softened. “Okay, I forgive you. Now go get some rest, you have school tomorrow.”

Armin nodded and made his way up the stairs.

Once he got into his bedroom, he though about everything that had happened that day. He thought about how they were going on a date tomorrow and how good of a kisser Eren was. He analyzed everything Eren said, searching for even the slightest sign of a lie, and he found none. The day was perfect.

Once again, he fell asleep smiling.

—————

When he awoke the next morning, it wasn't to the sound of his alarm clock. He woke to the sound of his phone buzzing. Confused, he looked at it.

Eren Jaeger, 6:45 AM:  
good morning gorgeous (:

Armin blushed and buried his face in his pillow smiling. He waited two minutes before replying so it wouldn't seem like he was too eager to reply.

Me, 6:47 AM:  
Good morning, Bright Eyes! How did you sleep?

Eren Jaeger, 7:48 AM  
i slept well :3  
hbu

Armin has learned that when Eren texts, he uses too many shortcuts and abbreviations and too few punctuation marks. He also uses too many emoticons and emojis than necessary, but it fit him. His texting style reflected his often carefree attitude. Occasionally though, he will lose his temper and that carefree attitude slips away.

 

Their conversation carried on for about 10 more minutes until Armin had to get out of his bed and begin getting ready. He told Eren that he had to go and began his morning routine. After he finished, he grabbed his backpack and a piece of toast and then he was on his way to school.

The school day carried on as any other would, with the exception of Eren dropping by his lunch table to say hi.

By the time seventh period was about to finish, Armin was practically bouncing in his seat, filled with nervous energy for his and Eren’s date after class. He wondered where they would go and how long it would take. He wondered if he was going to fuck it up or if it will go smoothly.

After those few minutes of worrying, the final bell rang and Armin practically sprinted to the closest bathroom. He tamed his hair, washed his face off, checked his breath, and smelled himself. He deemed his appearance worthy and walked out of school to Eren’s car.

“Hey Armin! Took you long enough,” Eren joked.

He scoffed. “Whatever, I had to put my books away,” he lied. It would be a little embarrassing to tell him that he was checking his he looked.

“Ready to go?” the brunet asked.

“Yeah,” Armin replied, beginning to walk to his door.

Eren cut in front of him before he could get there, though, and he opened it for the small blond.

Armin blushed once he saw Eren’s gentlemanly gesture and got in the car with a small “thanks.”

Once the brunet got in the car, he asked, “So, where are we going?”

Eren smirked. “That is for me to know and for you to wonder about.”

Armin groaned. “Please tell me! I hate surprises,” he complained.

“Oh please, you don’t hate surprises, you hate not knowing things.”

“…”

“See? You can’t even deny it.”

Armin was about to shoot out another sarcastic response when they pulled into the parking lot of Braus Ice Cream Parlor. 

“You’re taking me here?” the small boy asked excitedly.

“Yeah, I figured it would be a good idea. Ice cream is normally a safe bet for this kind of thing. If you don't like ice cream then that is the first sign that I shouldn't be talking to you.”

“Amen,” Armin agreed as he stepped out of the car.

When they walked through the doors, they noticed that the whole place was 50’s themed. The booths were all red and the tiles of the floor were checkered in white and black. The walls were covered in old pictures. All in all, it was a really cool place.

They walked up the the counter and Armin began ordering. “I would like one scoop of coconut ice cream and one scoop of mint chocolate chip on a cone, please.” 

After placing his order, he heard the tall boy next to him make a strange noise. “What?” he asked.

Eren pulled a face. “That is a really gross combination. Weirdo.”

“Judge me.”

“Oh, I am, trust me.”

Eren then stepped up the the counter and ordered. “I want a scoop of cookie dough and one of chocolate.”

“At least I didn’t order something boring,” Armin sassed.

“Rude.”

“Whatever.”

The worker quickly finished making their ice creams and they walked to one of the booths. Instead of sitting in the seat across from Armin, Eren slid into the one next to him. When he did, their shoulders and thighs touched, causing a chill to run through his body.

Eren looked over at him and his ice cream. “I still think it’s gross.”

“You can’t know that until you try it,” Armin replied.

“I am NOT trying that.”

“Fine, your loss,” Armin said, licking his ice cream.

Once they finished their ice creams, they drove to a park about a mile away.

The park was known for its flowers and clear lakes. It was a popular destination for dates and weddings. It was absolutely gorgeous.

They began to walk around the park, following the little man-made stone paths that snaked through it. Eren identified flowers that he recognized and Armin listened about the meanings and uses. 

After about ten minutes of walking, Armin noticed that something was off about Eren.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing, it’s just…. Can I hold your hand?” he asked nervously, looking at his shoes.

Armin smiled and blushed. “Of course you can,” he said softly.

With that, Eren quickly grabbed his hand.

Eren’s hand was big. So big he could almost completely wrap his hand around Armin’s. It was also rough, probably because of baseball. But how warm his hand was was Armin’s favorite thing about it. The warmth of his hand was comforting.

They began to walk again. This time, Armin walked a lot closer to Eren, not wanting to stop touching him.

He could get used to this.


	8. track eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys, i was having writers block but still managed to get this to you with the help of thatonesnkfan, who not only beta'd this but also gave me ideas while i was out of ideas. much love <3<3 as always, comment, kudos, and tell me what you think! also make sure to check out his stories and stuff!! enjoy!!!!!!

——— A WEEK LATER ———

Eren walked to his normal lunch table after talking to Armin. Sweet, perfect Armin. He was falling, and he was falling hard. How had he not noticed him in the hallways before? With his luscious blond hair and bright blue eyes, he was gorgeous and perfect for him.

While he was daydreaming, he must’ve been smiling, because Jean Kirschtein spoke up, snapping him out of his daze.

“Hey, Jaeger, what are you grinning about?” he sneered.

“What? Oh, nothing,” he replied, a little flustered.

“Sure. So I’ve noticed you have been talking to Arlert more lately. Any reason why?” he asked, smirk evident on his face.

Eren blushed. “N-no, not really…. He spilled coffee on me once and we started talking. That’s all.”

“Sure, Jaeger.”

“Oh, can it Horseface. Don’t you have some hay to eat or something?”

“Oh fuck off Jaeger,” Jean shot back.

A few minutes passed in silence, each person at the table quietly eating.

“Haven’t you been talking to that freckled kid a lot, Mark or something?” Eren eventually said.

“It’s Marco, dumbass. And yes, I have. You got a problem with that?” he said defensively.

“Okay, whatever dude. Calm down a little bit.”

“Eren ‘Hot-Tempered’ Jaeger is telling you to calm down? Wow, Jean, you must really be fired up,” Reiner yelled from across the table.

Jean was about to reply but the warning bell cut him off.

Eren ran to find Armin. Once he did, he grabbed his wrist and made him turn around.

Armin looked up at him with wide eyes. “Come over today. You can come to baseball practice today,” Eren offered.

The small blond smiled. “Okay,” he said as he walked off to his next class. “See you after school.”

“See ya!”

—————

When he walked out to his car, Armin was already there waiting for him. They drove to his house in comfortable silence.

Once they got to his bedroom, Eren began to change. Once he took off his shirt, Armin walked over and put a hand on Eren’s chest.

“Have I ever told you how much I love your chest?” the blond asked.

“No, you haven’t. But now that you have, I expect you to tell me more,” Eren smirked. “But you have to move your hand. I have to get dressed for baseball,” he said reluctantly. 

Armin sighed as he pulled his hand away. “Fine.”

Eren leaned down to press a soft kiss to the other boy’s lips.

“Hey…While we’re at practice, can we tell the guys about us? I want them to know, and you are an important part of my life now.” Eren asked shyly.

Armin smiled. “Of course we can, I like you a lot and I really want people to know that you’re mine.”

“Good,” Eren said. “And I really like you too.”

Armin got up on his tippy toes and pressed another small kiss to the brunet’s lips.

—————

Most of the guys on the baseball team were surprised to see the two of them pull up in Eren’s car. Jean, though, wasn’t. He had been expecting this for a while.

Armin and Eren walked up to greet the boys.

“Hey guys. This is Armin,” Eren introduced.

“Hi, I’m Armin. Nice to meet you,” the blond said shyly.

There was a chorus of “hi”s all throughout the group.

Reiner was the first to notice the two’s closeness.

“Bro, are you two… gay or something?” Reiner asked with a confused look on his face.

“Hell yeah,” Eren said enthusiastically. Armin made a small noise of disapproval, murmuring something about how, “that wasn't the way he wanted to tell them.”

Many of the players had surprised looks on their faces. The only one who didn’t was that damn horseface. 

Armin saw a $20 bill being passed from Connie to Jean.

Bertholdt, surprisingly, was the first to speak. 

“Congratulations, you two are a cute couple.”

Sounds of agreement were heard all around the group.

Eren looked surprised. “Wait, so you guys all are okay with it?”

This time, it was Connie who spoke. “Yeah, of course we are dude. Anything that makes you happy makes us happy. What kind of friends would we be if we didn’t accept you for who you are?”

“Shitty ones,” Reiner answered.

“That was a rhetorical question, dumbfuck,” Connie shot back.

Eventually it was time for practice, and the boys had to leave Armin. He walked quietly to the bleachers to observe.

He had never seen Eren play before, and he was shocked by how good of a player his boyfriend was. He looked so at ease on the baseball diamond, like he had belonged there. His throws looked natural and unforced. His swings were almost perfect and relaxed. He was perfectly at home on the field.

After they were done with practice, Eren walked over to Armin, sweaty.

“So what did you think?” the brunet asked.

“You were absolutely amazing. I want to go to all of your games.”

“Really? Thanks!” Eren exclaimed, pulling Armin into a long and sweaty hug.

“Ich liebe dich,” the taller boy whispered in the middle of their embrace. He said it almost as if he meant for no one but himself to hear it.

Armin recognized the language as German immediately. He had been speaking German since he was a child and knew the language fluently. What Eren said translated to “I love you.”

“Ich liebe dich auch,” the blond quickly replied, hugging the brunet a little bit tighter.

Eren pulled away, surprised and blushing. “You know German?”

“Yeah, I have spoken it since I was a kid.”   “Me too,” Eren said. “Do you really mean what you told me?” he asked shyly.

“Of course I do,” Armin said softly.

Eren pulled him into a long, sweet, and passionate kiss.


	9. track nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is really short and boring. sorry. beta'd by the fave, thatonesnkfan. go check out his one shots and stuff. you can ask about this fic on my tumblr, punk-rock-rebellion. enjoy!

It was around dinnertime when Armin returned home.

“I’m back, Grandfather!” Armin spoke as he walked in the door of his house.

“Hello, Armin. Welcome back,” his grandfather replied with a soft smile. “I am too tired today to make us some dinner, so would you like to go to a restaurant?”

Armin’s eyes lit up. They hardly ever ate anywhere other than their house. 

“Yes, of course! Where do you want to go?”

“Let’s go to the Spaghetti Factory. Make sure to wear something nicer than that,” Grandfather replied, pointedly looking at Armin’s sweat-stained shirt.

“Whatever,” Armin replied jokingly while walking up the stairs to his room.

Armin chose to wear a brand new white button up, black Converse, and dark wash jeans. He pulled them on quickly and ran a brush through his long hair. He jumped down the stairs and walked into the living room to see his grandfather hitting the “end” button on the house phone.

“Did you reserve a table?” the blond asked.

“Yes, let’s go,” his grandfather replied.

After they struggled with the car's wonky seatbelts, they sang along to classic songs all the way to he restaurant.

Their time at the restaurant consisted of playful jokes about how they eat spaghetti and pretending they were the people in the booths next to them.

It wasn’t long until they were driving home. The radio was off and there was a peaceful quiet. They were stopped at a red light when that quiet was disturbed.

Armin, puzzled, looked to the left.

The last thing he saw before he blacked out on the pavements of the road, was their car being struck by a semi-truck; leaving both of them bloodied from glass shredding bits of skin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hah sorry not sorry. -thatonesnkfan and carryonmywaywardpunk


	10. track ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol sorry -me & thatonesnkfan
> 
> tumblrs:  
> punk-rock-rebellion (me)  
> thatonesnkfan and nerdling-prince (my bby)
> 
> beta'd by actual perfect angel thatonesnkfan

——— EREN’S POV ———

It was around nine o’clock when Eren was sitting around on his laptop watching various YouTube videos. He had a bowl of chips next to him and his phone on the other side. Multiple texts that he had sent to Armin were on the screen, all unanswered.

The unanswered messages weren't very worrying to Eren. There had been a few days where his boyfriend was so busy studying that he forgot to check his phone for hours.

The only thing that worried Eren was when he saw that Jean was calling him. 

Jean had never called him before. Whenever he needed something, he would text Eren because he knew that Eren would be less annoyed by a text than by a phone call. That’s why Eren knew immediately that something was wrong.

He pressed the answer button and held the phone up to his ear. 

“Hello?” he asked, his heart rate picking up slightly.

“Eren, turn your TV to the news. NOW,” Jean yelled into the receiver frantically.

Eren scrambled for the remote. He had never heard his friend so worried in all of the years he had known him, so needless to say he took what he said quite seriously.

After Eren finally managed to stop fumbling with the remote, he changed the channel from some cooking show that Mikasa was watching earlier that afternoon to channel nine.

The headline was along the bottom of the screen, bolded. It read, “BREAKING NEWS: MAN AND GRANDSON HIT BY SEMI TRUCK.”

While that headline was running across the screen, there was video footage of the scene.

First it showed the car that the people were hit in. The whole driver’s side was crushed, the door pointed inwards towards the rest of the car. The passenger side of the car was up against a pole. There was a hole in the windshield on the passenger side.

Then it switched over to show the semi truck. It was hardly damaged at all. There was a dent in the front of the car, but that was it.

Next, the camera panned over to the side where there were ambulances and police cars. Someone was on a gurney, about to be wheeled into the ambulance. Before they disappeared from the camera’s view, it showed a head of thick blonde hair smeared with blood.

Eren could recognize that hair anywhere. In that moment, only one thought ran through his head.

Armin.

Eren dropped the phone that he had been holding up to his ear the whole time. He could faintly hear Jean yelling at him through the speaker, but he payed it no mind.

He slowly got up from his place on the couch. He walked over to the front door and stepped out. The second his foot hit the sidewalk, he began sprinting. 

He knew exactly which they were going to take him to. The hospital where his father worked. 

He was running for around five minutes when he realized that someone behind him was calling his name. 

He turned around and saw Jean in the passenger seat of his mother’s car, with his mother behind the wheel. 

“Get in, Jaeger. We will take you to the hospital. I knew you would pull something like this once you found out, so I had my mother ready to go,” he stated.

Eren, numb, walked over to the car and got in the back.

Jean’s mother spoke up. “Hi honey. Jean-bo told me what happened. I’m so sorry, I know you two were together. Let’s get going so we can go see him, okay?” she said gently. Eren nodded and they were on their way.

They got to the hospital in ten excruciatingly long minutes. Once they went into it, they went to the emergency section and Jean’s mother asked about Armin while Eren sat in the corner of the waiting room with a blanket that Jean had in his car.

Eren was torn between wanting to die and wanting to hit something. He couldn’t believe that something like this happened to Armin and his grandfather, two of the nicest people he had ever met in his life. He was so angry. They didn't deserve this. 

At the same time, he was deeply depressed. His boyfriend and his boyfriend’s only remaining family member could be dead, sitting in a morgue somewhere in the back of the hospital.

He just sat there clutching the blanket like his life depended on it and praying to whatever deities that were out there that they would be okay. That they would both miraculously pull through. He sat there for what felt like days, but in reality it was only a few hours. Every once in a while, Mrs. Kirschtein would get up and ask about the small blond’s condition, but each time they would tell her the same thing. “He is in critical condition, ma’am. There’s no telling how he will be.” Of course, she didn't tell Eren that. He was in no condition to hear that.

Eventually, Eren’s father walked through the double doors leading to the rooms. 

“Eren,” he said with a pained face, walking quickly towards his son.

“Dad. Please tell me you know something about him. I need to know something,” Eren pleaded.

His father gave him a sympathetic look. “Armin… he is in a coma. And we don’t know how long it will be until he wakes up.”

It took a moment for that to process in Eren’s mind. But once it did process, Eren found himself in tears, no longer able to hold them back.

Grisha took him into his arms and soothed him until he calmed down.

Afterward, Eren hide himself back into the corner he was in previously. He just couldn't believe that Armin- his beautiful Armin- was set into this coma state. What had he done to deserve it?


	11. track eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ohmygod guys I'm so sorry that i haven't been able to update i have just been having a really hard time with school and other things and my focus has not been on writing.
> 
> my beta thatonesnkfan wrote this chapter for me, as i am still lacking motivation and time. he did amazingly, make sure to compliment him. ask about the fic on our tumblrs, mine is punk-rock-rebellion and his is arlert-blogging.
> 
> as always, tell us what you think in the comments and kudos!!! we love you. please get me and him to 100 kudos and we will love you guys forever

What started as the feeling of hours of waiting to Eren became near days, maybe even years. That, or Eren was freaking out too much about Armin. Who could blame him, though? Your boyfriend who was super happy one day, then in a coma the next is just slightly terrifying. 

The brunet didn’t even remember the fact Armin’s grandfather was in that car too until it recently hit him. Apparently according to the hospital staff, he had been really close to death- with the probability of him surviving being very, very slim.

As heartbreaking as this news was to himself, Eren was more worried about how Armin’s reaction would play back. After all, that’s the last bit of family Armin has.

Will he have to be broken apart from Armin, was the question. Though the answer still lingered, unknown to most at this moment.

\-----

About an hour later, Grisha appeared behind the closed double doors again to Eren & co. with news that could both break Eren’s heart, but also relieve him.

“Son, you can go see Armin now. The boy’s still asleep of course, but from what we have he most likely won’t be asleep for much longer.”

The look on Eren’s face was enough to tell him that he just wanted to see him. Eren just wanted to see Armin, he didn’t care if there were gigantic beasts roaming around nor if he were still asleep; he wanted to see him.

The walk there felt like hell to Eren, why’d the room have to be so far away? Was it even that far away, anyways? 

Whenever he did manage to get over to him however, he broke down.

Armin looked like he was broken, blood still in his hair, lips put into a solemn frown, eyes closed over. Although the heart monitor kept it’s frequent beeps, the blonde had never looked so dead nor gone.

Eren walked over quietly, almost afraid to wake him but very badly wanting him to wake up. So they could speak to one another, say something, hug each other. 

Grisha broke into the silence with what seemed like sadly angry claws of his own words. “His grandfather, sadly, didn’t.. he didn’t manage to make it, Eren. It might be best for you to tell him this news.”

“Dad.. where will he go after this?” Was the question, still awaiting it’s answer.

“It’s still to be decided.. but I’m thinking, he can come in with us.” 

The brunet accepted the answer for now, curling up in the chair next to Armin’s bed; waiting for when visiting hours to close.


	12. track twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> super early update for being so late last time. sorry for that guys.
> 
> here we have a little insight into mikasa's life in the beginning, i feel like i was neglecting her.
> 
> anyways, as always, beta'd by thatonesnkfan, go follow him on tumblr. arlert-blogging. follow me or ask questions at my blog, chill-clique (i changed my url bc I'm tøp af). comment and kudos!
> 
> i just realized that there was pretty much only one scene in the coffee shop and this is called coffee shop soundtrack hah whoops looks like i have to add in a scene there soon
> 
> {edit} HOLY FUCK GUYS I LOVE YOU ALL SO MCUH THANK YOU FOR 100 KUDOS

——— MIKASA’S POV ———

Mikasa was worried about Eren. He spent all of his time either in his room with his music playing at painful levels or punching things. He desperately needs to find some way to channel his anger about Armin’s accident in a healthier way. Of course, the same could be said for herself, so there was no room for her to judge.

Ever since the accident, Mikasa had been talking more and more to a blonde girl named Annie that sits next to her in her math class, mainly because she no longer has Eren to confide in and also because she thinks that the blonde was really cute, but doesn't want to admit it. Annie and Mikasa seemed to click almost instantly when they first talked. Their personalities were very similar in many ways. Annie seemed to understand what Eren was going through and expressed a little sympathy for him, to Mikasa’s surprise. There was definitely a connection between the two.

——— EREN’S POV ———

Eren was sitting in the treehouse when an idea came to him. Since Armin will probably be coming to live with them until he is old enough to move out, he’s going to need somewhere to stay. 

Armin was going to stay in the treehouse.

The brunet had tons of ideas of how to fix up the treehouse for him. He could print out photos of him and Armin together and frame them and put them on the walls. He could place space heaters and fans all over the place. He would definitely hang up some Christmas lights around the pictures and around the top of the walls. He needed to find an old mattress and some clean sheets and pillows. He was going to ask Jean to help him build a makeshift door and a lock so Armin would be at least a little safer in there. He also needed to find screens and put them in the holes that were meant to be windows so birds and bugs wouldn't be able to get in. He would need many rugs too.

Eren made a list of all the things he needed and went to a hardware store and a furniture store and got the majority of the things he needed. Then, he got to work.

He hung up the lights, put down rugs, placed heaters and fans, placed the screens in the windows, and printed and framed the photos. Also, to add entertainment to the place, he got an old bookshelf and put some of his and Armin’s favorite books in it.

He called Jean.

“Oi, Jaeger, what do you want?” Jean asked roughly.

“I need you to help me with something for Armin when he wakes up.”

Jean was going to make a comment about how Eren apparently can’t do whatever he needs to do alone, but decided against it. “Okay, is there anything you need me to bring with me?”

“Bring some screwdrivers. Thanks for this, man,” Eren said gratefully.

“Anytime Jaeger. I’m on my way.”

——— THREE HOURS LATER ———

After many splinters, swollen thumbs, and threats to shove screwdrivers up certain places, the boys finally finished making a door for the treehouse.

“I’m not gonna lie. I think Armin is gonna love this place once he wakes up,” Jean said while looking at the finished product of the treehouse. It was exactly what Eren had imagined.

“Thanks. Now we just have to wait for him to wake up.”

“He will wake up soon, and he will be perfectly fine. He’s not gonna give up that easily,” Jean said reassuringly.

Eren nodded. “Damn right he isn’t."


	13. track thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> omg im so sorry guys  
> i completely lost track of this!! i have been so overwhelmed from sophomore year and i dont have much time for creative writing anymore, so im gonna finish this fic up here. this is unbeta'd, so sorry loves!!

\------EREN'S POV------

A week after Jean and Eren fixed up the treehouse, Eren got a call from the hospital.

Armin was awake.

The brunet, hysterical from happiness, tried to drive himself to the hospital, but right as he was about to pull out of the driveway, his father intervened. There had already been one devastating car crash in their lives recently, and they definitely did not need another one. With Mr. Jaeger in the driver's seat, they drove to the hospital in silence. The only sounds were the small sobs coming from the boy's mouth. Once they arrived at the hospital, Eren jumped out of the car before it had even stopped, much to his father's dismay. He sprinted inside, ran past the floor supervisor's desk, and went straight into the room where Armin was. 

The blond boy was awake and drinking water. The cuts on his face and body had healed up for the most part, and his face didn't look as sunken-in as it had before. 

It took all the self-control that Eren had not to run up to his love and give him a bone-crushing hug. Armin had already had enough bone-crushing for a lifetime. He simply walked over to the side of his bed and took his boyfriend's empty hand in his. They sat like that for a few moments that felt like hours, until Eren finally spoke.

"I've missed you for so long, I love you so much," he whispered, his eyes quickly welling up with tears.

The blond boy looked over Eren's tearful form and looked at their hands, then said three words that made Eren's heart stop.

"Who are you?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i felt like finishing this abruptly and realistically, please dont hate me...  
> moral of the story: happily ever afters rarely happen in real life!! welcome to the real world kiddos
> 
> thank you all so much for subscribing, kudosing, and bookmarking!! it really means a lot to me that you guys enjoyed this as much as i did. i had a lot of fun, love you all.  
> -miranda


End file.
